Brake mechanism



Feb. 3. 1925. 1,524,912

. c. c. cREwsoN BRAKE MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y T l? llllll Il llllllllfllllllllll f lli' dfi/wy /zarZeXsC/re' W50/z.

Feb. 3. 1925. r 1,524,912

c. ci. cREwsoN BRAKE MEcHANlsM Filed Jan. 2, 1923 I .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES C. CREWSO'N, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BRAKE MECHANISM.

Application led January 2, 1923. Serial No. 610,105.

T0 all whom t 'may concern'.

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. CRnwsoN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake Mechanism, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to manually operable car brakes of that class exemplified by my Patent No. 1,380,043 issued May 31, 1921, and has for its object to produce an improved brake mechanism of the class referred to which is positive and efficient in action, by which a car can be eased for arrest at the exact point desired without any attendant jolt or jar, and which is not subject to injury through unskillful manipulation.

Another object is to produce a brake mechanism making provision for guarding against injury or breakage as a possible incident to the spinning of the brake staffI when the brake is fully released.

A still further object is to produce a powerful brake mechanism of very simple and compact construction.

With these objects in view. the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts` as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure 1 is a plan view of a brake operating mechanism embodying the invention, the mechanism being shown in thc brakereleased position and as applied in the vestii bule portion of a car;v

Figure 2 is an enlarged Vplan view with certain parts of the brake mechanism broken away, the operative mechanism occupying the position for holding the brakes in applied position;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the brake operating mechanism; i

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, but with the handle in the position it occupies shortly after the brake applying operation begins; Y

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the mechanism as disclosed by Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with the thumb lever operative to trip the holding dog preliminary to effecting a partial release of the brakes;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line VIIVII of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line VIII- VIII of Figure 7 and Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of the holding dog. y

Referring now to the drawings invdetail, 1 indicates a horizontally arranged housing or frame ofU-shape secured in the vestibule V of a car. Journaled in the housing is the vertical extension 2 ofa brake shaft 3, the extension 2 having a flange 4 abutting the lower side of the housing or frame as a partial support for the latter, which of course will be bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the car. The said extension within the lower half of the housing, is of rectangular form and non-rotatably carries a ratchet wheel 5, and a circular hub 6 underlying the ratchet wheel, the hub 6, in conjunction with the cylindrical portion of the extension above the ratchet wheel, forming a journal for the operating lever or handle 7, which is horizontally bifurcated to accommodate or fit astride of the ratchet wheel and is adapted for operation in 'a horizontal plane.

The upper part of the head or journaled end of the handle is provided with a cylindrical hub or collar 9, having a peripheral cavity 10 for a purpose hereinafter mentioned, and the handle carries pivotally a pawl 11 normally held in engagement by a spring 12 with the said ratchet wheel. A boss 13 depends from the pawl adjacent its' ratchet-engaging end7 and said rpawl is provided at its opposite ends with aY tail 14. A thumb lever 15 is pivotally mounted on the handle and is connected pivotally by a link 16 with a cam 17 of substantially ring form, resting on the lever and Aaround the hub or collar 9 thereof. The cam is provided with a slot 18 pivotally and slidingly receiving a fulcrum pin 19 projecting upward from the lever or` handle, and inward of the slot the cam is formed with a protuberance 2O which at times enters thev cavity or recess 10, as when the cam is swung to the right (see Figure 6), totrip the Vholding dog` hereinafter identified, it being understood however that the parts may be proportioned to avoid the necessity of having the protuberance and cavity.

Pivoted at 21 within the housing is a dog 22. The tail z3 of the dog is provided with a pin 24 facing a'pin-carrying shoulder-'25. i

ot the .housing,.and a spring 26.*its upon said pins .and bears at its opposite. ends against said shoulder and the tailotther dog and tends to cause the .dog to engage the ratchet wheel and thereby lock the saine against back rotation, as will hereinafter appear. The tail ot' the dog is also provided with an outwardly projecting shoulder 2,7 for engagement at times by thel tail 14: Vot" pawl 11, andy projecting from tliehub of the dog 22 is a trip arm 28 yfor engagement at times by he cani 17. a lug 29 toi holding the'pawl inoperative when. the handle is` in its initial', position, and the cam has a nose `30 adapted` upon striking arm 20,to effect' the return-ot the cain to inoperative position. 'lVhen the lever or handle is in; its initial position the tail of pawl 111 is pressed against the shoulf der 27 of dog 22 and hence holds the latter i disei'igaged trom the ratchet wheel and the brakes inY released condition. To apply' the brakes, handle 7 is swung from the released vposition in the direction indicatedfby the arrow, Figure 1. this operation the boss rides over the lug '29 and in vso .doing overcomes the resistance otspring 26,` to ettect the release Voi: the dog by the pawl and permit of the engagement .of both with the ratchet wheel, and the turning of kthe latter and the brake, statt and hence through the customary connections, effect the yapplica-` tion ot the brakes, the 'dog 22 securing the ratchetvu'iheel and staff against back rotation. In this Voperation the cam 17'turns as a unit with the handle and performs no function, and it .the slack in the-brakes is not tully'taken up, thehandle'can be swung back part way. and then again to the' llei't to impart additional turning movement' to the ratchet wheel, this last manipulation being repeated ifinecessary to effect the desired braking result. v Y

Toettectfthe full release of the brakes the handle is swung back to itsl initialposition. ln thisaction the. pawl rides over the teeth ot the ratchet wheel and j ust betore the movement is completed, the boss 13 rides over the lug 29 and thegpawl'is thereby rocked to inoperative position and its tail caused toimpinge squarely against the Ashoulder ofthe dog. to trip' the latter to .inoperative position, the resistance of spring 26- tending to hold the boss 13 pressed "against the rear edge of lug 129 and thus 'secure both dog and pawl -out of engagenient with the ratchet wheel, `and guard against injury to the pawl or stripping of teeth from the ratchet as thelatter spins back with the shaft, this back spinalways occurring as the handle attaiiis` its yinitial position.

` In the event the car tends tol stop too soon, upon vthe application of the brakes, the -litt can be eased oit by pressing the The housing" has thumbv leverlftrom the; position shown by Figure 2, to the position shown? by Figure 6, thisaction imparting swinging movement to the camY trom the position it occupies in Figure'2 to that it occupies in Figure thecain thus acting as a lever to apply pressure on arm 28 of the dog to trip the :latter 'from engagement with the ratchet wheel. This tripping action leaves the handle interlocked throughr its pawl with the ratchet vwheel so lthat by relaxing the inanually-exercised restraint on the handle in the desired degree, the statt is permitted to turn'backward uiidcrtlieapull ot the brake mechanisiinto permit of continued movement ot `the car. 1t the momentum acquired by the car is too great, the operatorcan apply moie resistance by f readvancing the handle, and if necessary, can

release 'the thumb Vlever to permit the dog whenstruck by the cam, to return the latterfand saidlever to inoperative position,

vthe dog at such time engaging theratchet wheel and holding it againstt'urther back rotation.

Inthe event the operator vby pressure on the 'thumb lever, holds the cam in operative position in swinging the handle back to initial position, sothatthe body of the cam passes backiot arm 28 without contact therewith, the nose of the cam will strike arm28, andthe cai'ii'bepushe'd back to inoperative position.

It will be apparent that lthe tail of the pawl will engage and trip' the`dog upon tull release movement ot the handle in the event the'lug'29 was omitted, but in this vevent thel handle would have to` be held 'back until the ffspin ot' the shaft was ended to guard'against'possible injury to the ".pawl or the ratchet-wheel.' V'The locking oit the handle,idog'and pawl minimizes rattling or noise.

From the abovefdescription it willV thus beapparent that I .have pro'due'eda brake mechanism" embodying the features ot advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the objectsot the: invention,

.and while I have illustrated' and described the preferred form ot embodiment ot the invention, it will be-.apparent :that it is susceptible of modili'cation in minor par- Vtion of the handle, Saidnieans being adapted to be returnedy to inoperative position atter its tripping function is accomplished,

loo

by the holding means upon partial reverse or brake-release movement of the handle.

2. A brake mechanism comprising a stati, a handle, means operable by the handle for turning the staff for brake-applying purposes, holding means to prevent reverse rotation of the staff, and means to trip the holding means Without changing the position of the handle, said means being adapted to be returned to inoperative position after its tripping function is accomplished by the holding means upon full reverse or return movement of the handle.

8. A brake mechanism comprising a staff, a handle, means operable by `the handle for turning the staff for brake-applying pur-v poses, holdingmeans to prevent reverse rotation of the staff, a cam, and manually-operable means carried by the handle, for causing the cam to trip said holding means Without changing the position of the handle.

4. A brake mechanism comprising a staff, a handle, means operable by the handle for turning the staiil 'for brake-applying purposes, holding` means to prevent reverse rotation of the stati", a cam, and manually-operable means for causing the cam to trip said holding' means Without changing the position of the handle; said cam having a. nose to engage the holding means upon the full reverse movement of the handle, to return the cam to inoperative position.

5. A brake mechanism comprising a stati', a handle, a paivl and ratchet mechanism operable by the handle for turning` the statt' for brake-applying purposes, holding means to prevent reverse rotation of the staff, means to trip the holding means Without changing the position of ythe handle, and

means to secure the paivl and holding means in inoperative position upon the return of the handle to initial position. Y

6. A brake mechanism comprising a staff, a handle, a pawl and ratchet mechanism operable by the handle for turning the staff for brake-applying purposes, holding means to prevent reverse rotation of the staff, means to trip the holding means Without changing the position of the handle, a fixed lug, and a boss on the paWl for cooperation With ythe lug in tripping the paWl to and holding it in inoperative position when the handle is in its initial position.

7. A brake mechanism comprising a staff, a handle', a pavvl and ratchet mechanism operable by the handle in its power movement, for turning the staff for brake-applying purposes, the pawl having a tail at the opposite side of its pivotal point from its ratchet-engaging point, holding means to prevent reverse rotation of the staff provided at the opposite side of its pivotal point from its ratchet-engaging point, with a shoulder, said shoulder being adapted by impact lthereon of the tail of the paivl, to be tripped as reversed movement imparted to the handle comes toan end, a fixed lug, and a boss on the pavvl for cooperation with the lug in throwing the pawl to inoperative position and in positioning the paivl to dispose its tail to engage said shoulder and thereby trip and hold the holding means in inoperative position when the handle is at the end of its reversed movement.

In Witnessl whereof I hereunto aHiX my signature.

CHARLES C. CREWSON. 

